Blinding Desire
by Sunset Songbird
Summary: Peeta never expected to see Gale on the Victory Tour. He especially didn't plan on sharing a room with him. The real quesion is, can they get along, or will they end up killing each other?
1. Chapter I

**We do not own The Hunger Games.**

Here's the first chapter. Enjoy!(:

-Star

* * *

When I had thought about the Victory Tour, images of screaming fans and speeches to make came to mind. Not Gale.

Definitely not Gale.

And yet, here he was, sitting across from me at the table on a train headed for District 1. His dark eyes met mine and instantly narrowed. He had a 'What're you looking at?' look upon his face and gave me a challenging grunt. I rolled my eyes, turning away.

Glancing to the right, I turned to see a beautiful girl with soft, black hair scribbling hastily in a large sketchpad. Her brow was furrowed in obvious frustration, and I was waiting for the pencil she was gripping so intensely to snap in two. It was this very girl's fault that the annoyance known as Gale was here with us. She didn't look it at first glance, especially when she was all done up by her Capital crew, but this girl was a fierce warrior. It seemed like just days ago that she and I were running through the forest, trying to stay alive and not get killed. I was useless, in all honestly. I didn't do much of anything to help her; she did all the work. She was the one who put up with me. She was the reason I was alive.

Katniss sighed, finally dropping both the pad and the pencil and letting them fall in a heap on the floor. I got to my feet and walked over to her, picking up the scattered objects as I did so. "You'll get the hang of it eventually," I told her.

Her eyes, so similar to Gale's, I noted sourly, stared blankly up at me. "When Cinna told me I should try to sketch some designs of my own, just in case someone asked me to demonstrate my talent, I never thought it would be _this _hard," She sighed, staring down at her hands, which were lying limply in her lap. "I knew it was stupid from the beginning."

"Katniss, the girl on fire, can take out anyone with her deadly arrows. But she can't sketch a simple dress?" I smiled teasingly at her.

"Shut up."

"Here," I took the pad and flipped it open to a clean page. I leaned back and began to sketch a figure on the page; Katniss leaned in with interest to watch me. As I drew I thought back to yesterday afternoon.

Katniss had barged into the house, where I sat with Haymitch, and slammed her hands down on the table.

"Whaddaya want, girlie?" my former mentor grunted, raising one brow.

"The Victory Tour," she stated simply. "I want to bring Gale with."

"_What?_" I was shocked.

Haymitch busted out in laughter. "And why's that?"

"Because I can," Katniss muttered simply, crossing her arms and turning away. I thought I caught a slight trace of a blush upon her cheeks, and frowned. "And, why can't I?" she went on, turning back to face us. "No one ever said we couldn't bring others along with us. It's not like he'll be up on stage, he can just be with us on the train and-"

"I'm not even going to bother to argue with you," Haymitch shrugged, cutting her off. "You're in one of your moods... Lord knows you won't see otherwise," She glared at him. "I'll make some calls, pull some strings."

"Thank you, Haymitch."

I waited until Haymitch had walked out of the room, bottle of vodka in hand, before looking at her. "Why?"

"I don't need a reason, Peeta," she hissed.

"Katniss-"

"I don't question you!" she snapped angrily. "He's my friend, and I want him to come, okay? That's it!"

But that wasn't it.

I began to draw a long dress onto the girl I had sketched. After I had a rough outline I added pattern to it, getting creative with the designs. I heard the girl beside me sigh, and smiled.

I don't think Katniss will ever understand how much I really care for her. I don't think she realizes how badly she hurts me, either. Every little unconscious action she makes stings; and they all tended to involve Gale. Ever since that day on the train home Katniss and I haven't acted the same towards one another. It hurt to find out that everything she said to me while we were in the games was all for show. Every word, every touch...

Nothing.

She's oblivious to others' feelings; she doesn't seem to see that her happiness with Gale only torments and destroys me inside. It used to be me that made her smile like that. But not anymore.

"Peeta, you put me to shame," Katniss sighed in defeat. "I have no talent."

"Tell that to all those dead game you've captured and killed with your excellently crafted traps," Gale replied from over at the table.

"They're not that good," she muttered quietly.

"Don't kid yourself; you know they are."

"It helps to have a good teacher," Her warm tone made me frown.

"Too bad Peeta can't seem to teach you how to draw."

I scowled and stared bitterly down at the woman on my paper as I finished up the last touches.

"I mean, you taught her so many things out in the arena," Gale went on. "I bet she can hide herself so well now!"

"Gale, stop," Katniss hissed.

"No, it's okay, Katniss," I replied, looking up and stared Gale in the eye. "At least I'm not a forest barbarian."

Gale got to his feet. "At least I can care for the people who are important to me, instead of just hiding in the mud!"

"Well, I think my family prefers to eat my pastries compared to whatever it is you find daily out there!"

"You-"

"Stop it!" Katniss yelled again, rising to stand between us. "Can you just _stop?_ You're acting like idiots!"

"He-"

"Don't!" she snapped, cutting me off. "I don't know why you two have this immense hatred for each other, but can you please at least try to get along? This whole trip is going to be Hell unless you two play nice, so please, for me, stop fighting."

I glanced briefly at Gale before staring at Katniss. "For you, not him," I replied, my tone still harsh.

"For you," Gale agreed, crossing his arms.

"Thank you," Katniss sighed, returning to her seat. I stood standing, my eyed locked with Gale's. "Peeta," she tugged at my sleeve, breaking off our staring match and pulling me back to sit beside her.

I picked up the sketchpad and resumed drawing while Katniss watched. Gale began to talk with Katniss about the Victory Tour and asked her questions about what was to go on. I listened on silently, not entirely interested.

"Alright, well I think I'm going to bed," Gale muttered, getting up. "Which way to my room?"

"Ah," Katniss stiffened beside me. "I was going to tell you..."

I instantly perked up. "What?" I demanded.

"Well, Haymitch told me that they didn't have an extra room for Gale and asked me what I suggested they do, so..."

"No, please," Gale gasped, staring pleadingly at her.

"Don't tell me you..." I trailed off, horrified.

"So I told them you two could share a room," Katniss finished bleakly.


	2. Chapter II

Thanks for the reviews! :D

Here's chapter two!

-Tara

* * *

I stared at Katniss, eyes wide, mouth open. Was she serious?

"Share a room? With _him_?" I asked in disbelief, glaring at Peeta, who was looking just as annoyed as I was. Katniss nodded, running a hand through her hair. "Can't you two share a room? Or Katniss, you and I could-"

"Sorry, Gale. Haymitch already told the Avox, and there's no way out now. Plus, I'm not sharing my room with one of you," She made a face. "You two will just have to share a room."

I glared at Peeta. It was his fault I had to share a room. And really, I didn't want to be here; the only reason I was here was because of-

Katniss. It was all _her_ fault, me being here.

I shook my head. No, she'd invited me. She'd wanted me here. I'd just have to deal with Peeta, for her sake. I looked at said girl, who was looking between us. I sighed.

"Alright. Which way to _our_ room, then?" I asked, drawing out the word.

Katniss glared at me before replying. "It's down the hall, first door on the left."

I nodded at her simple directions. I got to my feet and walked, only pausing once I reached the door. Looking back, I saw that Katniss was still standing beside Peeta, who continued to sketch his picture. I rolled my eyes at the scene before I treaded into the hallway. Finding the door Katniss had described was easy, and I quickly opened it. When I walked inside, my eyes widened.

"Wow..."

The room was huge. Really, fitting two people in here wasn't all that big of a deal. There was a large beg in the middle of the room, three times the size of the one I slept on at home. Well, actually I normally slept on the floor; Rory slept on my bed. But still. I instantly made my way over to it and sat down. The material was so soft, I felt like I could curl up and sleep for days. I laid back and cast my eyes around the rest of the room. There were several dressers scattered about, as well as a few tall mirrors. There was a small, white cube that I didn't recognize as anything familiar. There was also a few beige tables with odd objects scattered on their surfaces. I slowly closed my eyes; a nap would help. Then, maybe Katniss and I could talk about the whole room situation.

My breathing evened out, and I fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Gale, get up," a voice snapped, sounding annoyed.

"Catnip?" I asked with a yawn.

"No. Not even close. Do I _sound _like Katniss?" Blinking my eyes open, I sat up and grimaced. Peeta was in front of me with his arms crossed. He looked half amused and half annoyed. I glared at him.

"What do you want?" I asked sharply, rubbing my eyes. I'd only fallen asleep ten minutes ago—what was so important that he had to wake me up?

"You've been asleep for several hours," Peeta replied with a snort. My eyes widened. _Several hours?_ I'd just fallen asleep a few minutes ago... "Katniss and I already did our speeches; we're in District 1 now," Peeta went on, looking at me with a smirk. I glowered at him again before getting up off the bed and walking across the room.

"Okay. So, where's Katniss?"

"She's still working on her talent. Cinna wanted her to show him the designs she sketched after she was done." I shook my head, annoyed. At this rate, I'd never get a chance to talk to Katniss. "And... Katniss said there's a party tonight. District 1 is hosting it; it's in our honor," Peeta paused and cast me a glance.

So? What did that have to do with anything? "Your point?" I growled.

"Well, she said..." He broke off, seeming to try and think of the right words. After a moment he sighed. "She said you have to go to the party."

I blinked, looking at him. "With Katniss?" I smiled. This actually could be pretty fun. Some fancy party with fancy people, lots of delicious food to eat, music to dance to, maybe even a kiss to share with Katni-

"Umm, no. With me," Peeta muttered. He turned away, his face turning red.

I blinked, my eyes bulging and mouth dropping open. Was he serious? Or just pulling my leg? "Please tell me you're just messing with me," I pleaded.

He shook his head but didn't turn. "I'm afraid not," I let out an obnoxious moan, not caring if he felt insulted. "Look, I don't wanna go with you either, but Katniss is working on her talent," He finally turned back around, a frown on his face. He actually looked kind of nervous. "Besides, District 1... We're not on good terms with them."

"So, if that's the case then why are you even going?" I asked, confused.

Peeta smiled sheepishly. "Someone has to go. I'm one of the Tributes and Katniss is the other, but since she's busy, I need a substitute. And you're the only person available."

I groaned. "Why me?" I demanded of no one in particular.

"We really don't have a choice," the blonde said. "I've tried everything possible to get out of this, believe me. There's nothing," He suddenly turned away and walked towards the door. "Wear something nice, will you?" He flashed me a smirk before he disappeared.

"Idiot," I called after him.

I angrily stomped to a nearby dresser and started digging through it. After I had tossed nearly every item of clothing out of the stupid thing, I finally found something decent looking. It would do. I quickly changed into my party clothes before quickly running a comb once through my hair. I could care less what these damn people thought of me, but I wasn't going to give Peeta any reason to make comments about my appearance. After I was satisfied, I sighed and stepped outside.

This was going to be a long night. I could tell.

I met up with Peeta in the hall by the train's main exit. His outfit instantly put mine to shame. He was dressed in a black tuxedo with matching black pants. But this wasn't just any normal tux. Every time he made a movement or gesture, flames shot around the suit. If he made a small movement it was just flickers, but if he made a large one it was a fiery blaze of red and orange. It was stunning.

"Nice outfit," the baker commented upon seeing me. I scowled, looking down at myself. I had went with a simple white dress shirt and black pants. Oh, and a dumb green tie. It wasn't even a real tie, it was just a clip on. How classy. I ran a hand through my hair, trying not to look as put off as I really was.

"Let's just get this night over with," I huffed. Maybe if I was lucky I couldl ditch him within the first few moments of our arrival.

We took this small hovercraft-like thing through town until we arrived at a large, marble building. Town Hall, I figured. It took a bit of searching, but we finally found the ballroom. Once inside, I looked around in awe. The room was about fifty times the size of my home. Well, probably more—my house wasn't all that big. All along one wall was tables and tables of all kinds of foods. Near another wall, tables were set up everywhere for the guests to sit at. The rest of the room was cleared out to be used as a dance floor. In the center of the ballroom, high above everyone's heads, was a blindingly bright platform. Sitting on top of this platform was a man wearing a peculiar, fire engine red suit. He had thick silver shades and spiky hair that was colored to match his ridiculous outfit. He was currently pressing all sorts of buttons on a machine before him, which I realized controlled the music. Wow, these people really went all out. And I thought they hated Peeta.

"I guess they don't hate you as much as you thought," I commented smirking slightly. I glanced over at Peeta, who looked uncomfortable.

"I suppose,"

I rolled my eyes. "C'mon, stop being such a baby," I grunted. "Let's just mingle with these people and get outta here."

This was going to be a _very_ long night.

* * *

"Is this night over yet?" I asked for about the tenth time.

"Lighten up, _Gale_," Peeta barked; he seemed to spit out my name. He looked just as irritated as I was. I flashed him my own look of distaste.

We'd been here for nearly an hour and yet no one had said more than two words to us. I could understand everyone ignoring Peeta, I mean, they hated him. But what was so bad about me? Sure, I came here with him, but that doesn't mean I'm married to the kid! It wasn't _me _who killed the damn Tributes from their District! Then again, those mutts did deserve everything they got, so I suppose the people here wouldn't appreciate my attitude around that topic.

To sum things up: District 1 hated us and Peeta was the only person I had to talk to.

Peachy.

"Can't we just _leave?_" I demanded. Clearly I asked this rather loudly, because two people passing by glared at me. I scowled at them, and turned back to Peeta, who looked like he was really considering this idea.

"Well, we're supposed to stay until the end," he began. My eyes widened; three or so more hours stuck here with Peeta? I don't think so! "But we can always sneak away... I doubt anyone would really notice our absence."

We made our way discretely through the crowd. Once at the door, we quickly opened it and slipped out. Peeta was right, no one even gave us a second glance as we walked down the hall and exited the building. Outside, our hovercraft-thing was waiting for us. We quickly jumped on and it flew us back to the train.

Peeta glanced back at me after he had hopped off. "That could've gone better, don't you think?"

I shrugged. "I guess so," I had planned to continue walking and enter the train, but something stopped me. I had a strange feeling in my stomach, and I didn't like it. It was the feeling I dreaded most—the feeling I got when I knew I was wrong and had acted like a moron. Dammit. "Sorry about how... I've been acting," I looked away, refusing to meet his eyes. I sighed, waiting for the taunts.

"Same here," I looked up in surprise. Peeta had fixed me with a sincere expression. "And... Since we're doing this for Katniss, I guess we could get to know each other better?"

I arched an eyebrow, looking sideways at him. "Serious?"

"Yeah, you game?"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Okay, fine," I agreed. "But only for her," I added as an afterthought, making sure he got why I was doing this.

"For her," he nodded. We quickly shook hands. It was awkward for a few moments before Peeta spoke again. "So, you noticed our room only has one bed..."

"Yeah, so?" I asked warily.

He grinned sheepishly. "Don't get any ideas," he teased, shaking his head. "I just meant that we're going to need to switch off."

I shrugged. "I'll sleep on the floor tonight," I offered. This place was feeling more like home already. Except Peeta was much larger than Rory. And much more annoying.

Enough of that. I just promised I'd change, now didn't I?

I smiled half-heartily. Hopefully, this wouldn't be so bad.


	3. Chapter III

While I was looking through the reviews of chapter two, I came across one in particular that was quite interesting:

"Yaoi mind speaking: Please let them end up in the bed together~" -MysteryPearl

I laughed. Hard. xD ...Though, I also considered it. ;D

Anyways, soooooooooooooo sorry for the long wait; I've had horrible writer's block lately and yeah. Major thanks to the reviewers and to Tara for not bugging me about updating. :)

-Star

* * *

A bloodcurdling scream filled the air, followed by the rush of footsteps.

"Peeta!" a voice shrieked in pure agony.

I felt my heart skip a beat as my throat tightened. I'd know that voice anywhere. Katniss. I took off in a sprint, hurrying towards the area I had thought I heard her come from.

"Where are you?" I yelled back, shoving branches aside as I made my way through the forest. I felt my heart pounding up against my chest as panic began to set in. She hadn't responded; where was she? "Katniss-!"

My yelp was drowned out by a cry of pure horror and pain.

It brought me back to that day from my childhood. I had been playing outside when I heard a sound too horrific to describe properly. I instantly rushed to find the source of said noise, only to discover a petite dog lying on its side. At first I didn't see what was wrong with it, for it had no open wounds that my eyes could see. But then it gave another terrible yelp and spat up a huge glob of blood. I can still see it, all thick and dark. It ruined the new shoes my mother had just bought me days ago. I called for my father and he soon arrived at my side. When he examined the mutt, he discovered a strange lump on its stomach. When touched, the dog howled in pain and puked up more blood. My father quickly examined a nearby overturned garage can and discovered it was full of old tin cans. He figured the dog must have swallowed a piece of something, and the sharp edges were cutting up its insides. I remember pleading with my father, begging him to help the poor dog. But he only told me there was nothing he could do. He could only end the dog's suffering.

When one of the Peacekeepers arrived at our house, I ran away as fast as I could. But I couldn't get far enough away to keep from hearing that single shot. I was haunted for months by the dreadful sounds of that dog and his pained cries. I felt like a failure for not being able to help him.

But the sound Katniss had just made was fifty times worse than that dog's yelps ever could be.

I stopped in my tracks, full of dread and fright. The scream ended, leaving an eerie silence to follow. I listened but heard nothing. Not even the birds made a sound.

"Katniss!" I shouted, cupping my hands around my mouth. I listened once more. Nothing. "_Katniss!_"

No. Not this time. This time, I wasn't going to fail.

I took off into a run. I didn't know where I was going, all I knew was that I had to find her. I skidded to a stop as I entered an open clearing.

That's when I saw her.

"No..." Disbelief. It was impossible; she couldn't be... _No._

I hesitantly approached her, my body shaking down to the tips of my fingers. "K-Katniss?" I called out. I lowered into a crouch beside her and slowly reached out, shaking her gently. "Katniss," I pleaded. I leaned over, and that's when I saw her face. Her eyes were wide open and her expression bore a look of terror. Her mouth was opened slightly, from when she had let out that shriek.

"No," I repeated, eyes wide. "Katniss, wake up!" I shouted, shaking her. She was in a trance, that's it! Somebody made her like this; she was just frozen! My hand flew to her neck, feeling for the pulse. "N-No..." I gasped, my voice breaking. "NO!" I screamed, the tears finally escaping my eyes. I fell over, sobbing on the body of the only girl I ever loved. I buried my face in her shirt as I choked and whimpered like an infant would. I was so weak... I couldn't do anything for her—I couldn't even save her...

Katniss was dead.

* * *

"Peeta, _wake up!_"

I shot up in bed, panting heavily. I quickly took in my surroundings and realized I was still on the train. "J-Just a dream," I whispered to myself, sighing softly in relief. I noticed that I was drenched in sweat, and threw my blanket off me. I then grabbed my pillow and wrapped my arms firmly around it.

"Are... you okay?"

I jumped slightly at the sound of Gale's voice, having forgotten that it was him who had woken me up just moments ago. "Oh, G-Gale," I breathed, closing my eyes to calm myself. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine."

I heard him snort. "Yeah, because people who are 'fine' have dreams that cause them to scream loudly while shouting words of terror."

"Sure," I muttered, blowing him off. I looked away, not wanting to talk about the subject anymore.

"Sorry," Gale apologized lamely. "But seriously, are you okay?"

I sighed softly. "Kind of," I replied. He gave me a skeptical look. "Okay, not really."

"Uh, do you, um, want to... talk about it?"

I glanced up to see that he was serious, though he looked embarrassed by his words. "It's okay," I murmured. "Thanks though."

I usually crawled into bed with Katniss when I had nightmares, as she often did with me when she had them as well. But, at the moment, I didn't think Gale would love the idea of me going to go sleep in the same bed as Katniss. And since we were trying to work things out, for Katniss's sake, I had no choice but to sit here and just get over it.

"Oh, okay..."

"It's just, I usually talk to Katniss about this kind of thing..." I explained lamely, trying not to make it seem like I didn't want to talk because it was Gale. Though, it kind of was.

Gale was sitting on the couch an Anox had brought in for him to sleep on, his blanket draped over his shoulders. "Well, I could try," he replied after a moment of thought.

I met his eyes in disbelief. He was serious again. He's really making an effort... I suppose, I could at least try... I shifted my position slightly, staring at the wall. "I had a dream," I whispered.

"About the Games?" Gale asked quietly, guessing.

"Yes," My voice was hoarse.

"And... by the sound of it..." Gale paused, trying to choose his next words correctly. "Katniss... Something happened?"

"I was in the forest when I heard her scream..." I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to erase the sound forever from my mind. Though I knew I would never be able to do this completely. "I-I... got to her t-too late..." I broke off, unable to finish.

Gale understood. "If I were in the position..." He shook his head, his eyes staring blankly ahead as he thought about it. "I can't even image what every night must be like for you... Watching her die every time you fall asleep..."

I bit my lip slightly, avoiding his eyes. I felt my emotions flaring up as previous dreams flashed through my head, each just as horrifying and painful as the last. "Dude, you suck at this," I managed to choke out.

Gale looked down sheepishly, embarrassed again. "Whatever," he mumbled, his voice slightly shameful.

I swallowed uneasily. I closed my eyes again, trying to vanish the terrors away. When I opened them again and the room seemed to spin; I gripped the bed tightly.

"Sorry," the dark-skinned boy mumbled, clearly seeing what his previous words had done to me.

"Yeah, well..." I sighed heavily. "Nothing you can do, really,"

Gale stared up at the ceiling. "If I could take some of the pain from you, I would," he murmured quietly.

This caught my attention. I looked over at him, slightly shocked. "You... would?" I questioned. "...Why?"

He continued to stare at the ceiling. "Because... you shouldn't have to suffer like this every night," he mumbled. "If it would help you get at least some sleep each night, I'd do it in a second."

"Huh," I sat back, stunned.

"What?" Gale demanded, his voice slightly agitated.

"Nothing," I shrugged. "It's just, you're not as bad as I thought you were, I guess."

"Yeah well... Don't get used to it," Gale grumbled, turning away. He laid back down on his side, facing away from me. I smiled slightly.

"Night Gale,"

* * *

"I still have trouble eating the food they bring us,"

I paused, my hand holding a forkful of eggs just in front of my mouth. "I try not to think about it," I replied honestly.

"I know, but still..." Katniss frowned, staring down at the buffet on the table before us. "They're forced to make meals for us, clean for us, wait on us night and day, and for what? Because they did or said some stupid thing that the Capital, and Snow, saw as a threat?" She crossed her arms angrily. "I know that most people don't care, but I do."

I sighed—she was right. I dropped my fork with a clatter, having lost my appetite.

"Sorry," she quickly apologized. "I didn't mean to spoil your breakfast..."

"It's fine," I shrugged. "I was almost done anyways," She nodded slightly, though still looked troubled. I frowned; I hated seeing her upset. I reached over and cupped her cheek, smiling at her. "It's fine," I assured her. She managed a small smile of her own, lifting her hand to touch mine. That's when Gale stormed in.

He looked _awful, _to say the least. He had huge bangs under his eyes and his hair was spiked up all over. It was actually pretty comical, and I probably would have laughed openly at him if not for the pack we had made last night. He was still in his pajamas and was scowling—his whole face contorted in anger. He threw some sausage and toast onto his plate before he plopped down in the seat across from us, biting into a piece of toast hungrily.

"Gale?" Katniss blinked, staring at him. "What's up?"

"I didn't get any sleep last night!" Gale snapped, stabbing at his sausage angrily.

Katniss flinched slightly before glaring at him. "And that's _my _fault?" she demanded.

"_Yes!_" he hissed, looking up and returning her look.

"_How?_"

"It just is!"

"Fine!" Katniss snarled, slamming her hands on the table. "Since it's all 'my fault' I might as well leave then!"

"Katniss-"

She ignored me, getting up and storming out the same door Gale had thrown open just moments ago.

"Great," I muttered sarcastically. "Nice going Gale."

"It's just as much _your _fault as it is hers!" he growled.

"_How?_" I demanded. "I haven't done anything to possibly make you stay up all night!"

"You just _had_ to have your damn nightmare and tell me all about it," Gale spat, narrowing his eyes at me. "Thus, keeping me up all night as I thought about Katniss dying without me being able to do anything about it."

I blinked, mouth open in surprise. "I-"

"And then you fall back asleep and snore all night," he muttered.

I gritted my teeth. "It was _you_ who insisted on talking to me about it!" I snapped, losing my temper. "I didn't even _want _to tell you!"

"Well maybe you shouldn't have!"

"Well maybe you should have stayed in District 12 where you belong!"

Gale snarled—I was honestly surprised he didn't tackle me.

No, he didn't touch me. Instead he splashed his milk in my face.

I sat frozen, shocked. The liquid dripped off my chin, falling in a pool in my lap. I stared at the boy across from me, who was smirking from ear to ear. I instantly grabbed an orange from the table, wiping it at him. He was too amused by what he had just done to see the orange coming. It hit him right under the eye. He yelped in pain, clutching his cheek as it instantly began to swell. He glared menacingly at me.

"Fuck. You."

"Same to you, buddy," I hissed as I got up and slammed the door behind me.

So much for trying to work things out.


	4. Chapter IV

Thanks for everyone's patience, sorry it has been so long! D:

I was reading the reviews, and I happened to notice that many of you want Gale and Peeta to sleep in the bed together. xD Noted~

Here's chapter 4, enjoy! :)

-Tara

* * *

I let out a growl as Peeta slammed the door. I scowled, glaring after him. Who did he think he was? This was all _his_ fault! He just had to tell me about his stupid nightmare, which in turn kept me awake all night. I had images of a bleeding and broken Katniss stuck in my head for hours... I could still hear her voice calling out my name for help... I shook my head to banish the thoughts, and pushed my chair in as stood up. I gently reached up and touched my cheek, wincing at the jolt of pain that it caused me. I then instantly made my way to my room, mentally hoping Peeta wasn't there. Stepping inside, I noticed that one of the Avoxs—a girl with black hair and green eyes—was straightening up the room; she was currently folding the blanket on the couch. I narrowed my eyes at her presence.

"Get out!" I snarled.

The girl instantly looked up, her eyes going wide in fear, before fleeing the room. I watched her go, only slightly regretting my outburst, before sitting down on the bed. I muttered angrily to myself and kicked a nearby dresser, causing most of the objects on top of it to fall to the floor. I swore and kicked said dresser again, realizing they were _my _possessions. As I sat there, my anger bubbling up inside me, more images flashed through my head. Katniss with a sword through her heart, gasping for breath... Katniss choking as she attempted to swim to the surface of the lake she was drowning in... The girl on fire, _on fire_; her screams horrifying and unforgettable...

"_Stop!_" I screamed, desperate to get the terrifying pictures out of my mind. I put my hands to my head and squeezed my eyes shut as my heart filled with dread.

I hastily jumped up, searching for something to do to get my mind off these horrors. I spotted that strange white cube from before and realized it was actually a phone of some sort. I quickly crossed the room and stared down at it. I only gave it a moments stare of curiosity, as to what's its purpose was, before instantly picking it up. I heard ringing and furrowed my brow, for I hadn't dialed a number.

"Hello, what can I get you?" asked a high-pitched voice that sounded very rehearsed.

The woman informed me that the phone was for room service—I could have the Avoxs bring me whatever I wanted, right away. I soon found myself ordering an outrageous number of food, some of things I had never even heard of before. As it arrived one by one, I began to stuff my face with the delicious Capital-prepared food. I hadn't realized it, but I was starving! The food only lasted for so long, however, for soon I was full. Now needing a new task to busy myself with, I marched out of the room and down the hall in a random direction. I pushed open a narrow, orange door to find that I was in the lunch area, though there was only a little amount of food ready on the table at the moment. Glancing around, I noticed Haymitch sitting at the far end of the table, downing something dark and foul-looking. I took a seat beside him and he looked up moments later.

"What do you want?" he muttered.

I looked at Haymitch, and then the words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. "I came here for a drink."

Haymitch laughed at this and slammed a new bottle on the table before me. I grabbed it without hesitation and took the cap off, taking a long inhale. The liquor didn't smell appealing at all—my nostrils were still tingling from the strong scent. I sighed, deciding to give it a go. I hesitated before putting the bottle to my lips, only to slam it back down on the table after swallowing a few gulps. I coughed, bending over as my nose and eyes burned horribly. I could hear Haymitch howling in drunken laughter, but said nothing for I still hadn't gotten over the drink's taste. Once I composed myself, I sat back up and pressed the bottle to my lips again; I was determined to find something to take my mind off my thoughts and this could be it.

"So, why're you really here?" Haymitch asked, watching me curiously. There was a small smirk on his face, probably still over my reaction to the drink.

I blinked, staring at him from over the bottle. "I told you why. I'm here for-"

"You expect me to believe that? Now, tell me why you're really here, Gale."

I swallowed, feeling the liquor burning the back of my throat. I winced, coughing again before I spoke. "I... I wanted to ask you something."

"Well, spit it out!" he barked.

I scowled, glowering at him and his lack of patience. "I want a room change," I replied, before taking another drink.

"...A room change. _That's _why you're here?" Haymitch asked, raising his eyebrows, I merely nodded and drained more of the bottle.

"Uh-huh. That's why I'm here," I lied. I watched him, waiting for his response. Haymitch snorted and kicked his feet up on the chair beside him for a foot rest. He regarded me with wary eyes and I tapped my foot impatiently, scowling at him. "Well?"

"No."

I sputtered, eyes wide. "What? Why not?" I snapped.

"Because Katniss was the one who arranged this. Not me. If you have a problem with this, go talk with her."

I wanted to argue with him further, but instead rose to my feet—though not before finishing my current bottle and grabbing another one at random off the shelf.

Fine, I'd talk to Katniss about all of this crap.

I found said girl in the sitting room, perched at the edge of her seat as she sketched a design in her book.

"Katniss," I called gruffly.

She turned her head, her gray eyes boring back at me. She crossed her arms over her chest, before speaking. "What is it, Gale?" she asked coolly.

I shuffled my feet, before looking at her. "I wanted to ask you something," I started. I rubbed my left forearm absently, feeling guilty for what I had said to her earlier. Truly, it hadn't been her fault at all for my nightmares and I had been wrong to blame her for them.

"Well, go ahead. _Ask away,_" she said. Her lips curved down into a scowl. I forced myself to smile back, hoping this would work. I sighed, and looked her straight in the eye.

"I wanted to ask you if I could room somewhere else... Or with you, maybe," I suggested, my eyes bright with hope. There was a long pause and I frowned slightly, unsure if she had heard me. "Katniss? I asked if I could-"

"I know what you asked, Gale. I heard you the first time!" she snapped, eyes narrowing. She set her jaw, and clenched her fists. "I told Peeta this when he came here ten minutes ago, asking the same thing. And I'm going to tell you exactly what I told him. I'm sorry, Gale, but there _aren't _any rooms left. Neither you nor Peeta can stay with me, and I forbid either of you to stay with Haymitch; he's a bad influence," She looked away briskly, her tone showing this wasn't open for discussion.

But I could try.

"Katniss, please," I begged, desperation creeping into my voice. "Look, I tried rooming with him but all he's doing is getting on my nerves! We're not getting along," I concluded. "Please, Katniss, can't you just-"

"No, Gale! Dammit, why can't you listen to what I'm saying? You and Peeta are rooming together and you just need to learn to accept that! You can't always get everything you want, Gale!"

"But of course, you can," I retorted, my voice harsh. I regretted the words the instant they left my mouth. Katniss's eyes widened in shock, and I winced. "Katniss, I didn't mean-"

"_Go, _Gale!" she hissed, her voice low and full of venom. "Just. Go."

She turned back to her sketch, her back rigid. I stood awkwardly for a few moments before hanging my head. I quietly left, cursing under my breath as I did so.

* * *

I carefully stepped into my room, my footing unsteady. I tossed the second empty bottle over my shoulder absently, not reacting when I heard it shatter against the wall. I scowled, beginning to tremble, and stumbled over to the bed. I fell on top of it and gripped the sheets as my mind churned with thoughts and images. Soon the shaking grew worse, and I sat upright. The guilt I felt for yelling at Katniss was resurfacing in my brain, despite all the alcohol I had consumed. I needed something else to occupy myself with. I glanced to my right and noticed the stack of empty plates that had earlier contained the food I had ordered. I stood up, nearly pitching myself face forward onto the carpet. Then, taking slower movements this time, I approached the plates and grabbed one quickly. I hurled it at the wall, a smile creeping onto my face at the sight of it shattering all over the floor. I began to toss more about the room, letting out a dark chuckle as I watched them soar and break into tiny pieces.

Suddenly the door opened, and a blonde-haired boy instantly ducked to avoid a dish I had tossed in that direction. My eyes narrowed as I watched as Peeta, the person I currently hated most, slowly stepped into the room, his eyes wide. He looked around, taking in the damage I'd done, before looking at me.

"Gale? You don't look so good... Are you okay?" His voice, surprisingly, was full of nothing but concern.

This deeply angered me.

I fired another dish in his direction, my face lighting up in glee as it soared towards his head. However, he moved aside at the last second and I swore loudly. He moved towards me, eyes wary. "Gale... Look, about this morning-"

I shook my head stubbornly, refusing to listen to him. As he came closer, I acted instinctively; I punched him in the jaw. Hard.

Peeta was knocked to the floor, his hand coming up to hold his now bruised chin. He stood up, his eyes narrowed slightly, and I grinned. Perfect, now he was angry too. Maybe now I could have some fun. But his expression only slowly began to soften again as he looked me up and down. I growled, irritated that my plan hadn't worked. How could he be so calm after I had just hit him? He should be angry too!

"Gale," he said softly, leaning in towards me. I stepped away from him, shaking. He continued to stare, locking his eyes with mine. "Gale, what happened? You look _awful_."

"O'm fine," I slurred. I went to back away, but my foot caught the side of the bed and I went sprawling onto the floor. Peeta helped me up, and I batted his hand away, stumbling forwards as I moved.

"You don't sound fine. And your face is all flushed. You're shaking, and your balance isn't that good... So what-" He broke off, his eyes going wide. "Gale, you're drunk, aren't you?" I looked away, not answering. "Have you been drinking some of Haymitch's liquor? How could you-"

"O' course I hav'n been drinkin'," I snapped, moving away from him. The edges of my vision were starting to get fuzzy; I shook my head to clear it, but nothing seemed to improve. Peeta sighed, shaking his head, and reached for my arm. I somehow managed to stumble away, and staggered for the door.

"Wait! Gale, where are you going?"

"Away fr'm you," I replied. And then suddenly I was falling, and I wondered what had happened to my feet. Before I could hit the floor, however, two hands caught me. I looked up to see Peeta's concerned face as he dragged me back towards the bed.

"You're not going anywhere," he told me, quite simply. He carefully helped me up onto the bed. I felt him being to pull my shoes off, and I muttered irritably, kicking my foot slightly. I didn't want his help. I tried to voice this, too, but when I opened my mouth all that came out was vomit. And lots of it.

I heard Peeta mutter something under his breath as he began to yank my dirty shirt off. My eyes blinked heavily. Was that a curse? I began to giggle loudly. Peeta _never _swears! But my laughter didn't last, for more vomit decided to spew out of my mouth. And then suddenly the world around me disappeared... My vision slowly faded to black.

* * *

I woke up feeling like someone had just hit my head with a large hammer. I let out a low groan, squeezing my closed eyes tighter.

"Morning, sleepyhead," a voice called lightly.

I buried myself deeper under the covers I discovered were over me, and covered my ears. "Not so loud," I moaned.

Peeta laughed, and the sound almost made my head burst open. I whimpered, shutting my eyes. "Well, maybe next time you'll learn not to drink so much, huh?"

"Stop talking. My head..." I stopped, unable to finish.

Three blaring knocks sounded, and I wondered if I was being intentionally tortured. There was the sound of footsteps, then a low voice speaking. I breifly wondered who had come to the door, and what they wanted. However, the door then shut, and the bed sank near my feet as Peeta sat down. "Hey, look... about yesterday-"

"It's okay," I whispered, not needing to hear his apology. "I'm sorry about what happened too. I shouldn't have-"

"I know. Me too. Look, I know we hate each other, but maybe we can work around that? And this time for real?"

I went to nod when I realized my head was still under the covers. "Sounds good," I replied. I couldn't help but smile as I realized we didn't really stick to our first promise to avoid fighting. It was silent for a few moments, neither of us saying anything. I stared up at the white sheet as images from last night suddenly flashed into my head. "Hey... Thanks for helping me last night," I said softly. Peeta had gone out of his way on my behalf when he didn't have to, even after I had treated him like shit. I slowly pulled the covers off my head and took in Peeta's face. My eyes were instantly drawn to the dark bruise along the left side of his jaw—the exact spot that I had punched him. I looked away guiltily.

"You're welcome," Peeta told me. He winced slightly in pain as he smiled. "Just promise not to get drunk again, okay?"

I laughed, then moaned when it caused a new pounding in my head. "This is something I can easily agree to," I replied.

There was a comfortable silence, though it was broken again by me when I suddenly staggered up and rushed for the bathroom. I let out a low groan before bending over the toilet and emptying the rest of the alcohol from my system. It burned my throat, making my eyes stream worse than before. When I was done, I remained hunched over the toilet, whimpering softly. I heard footsteps behind me as Peeta poked his head in. He shook his head, lips quirking up in amusement. "If it's possible, you look worse than yesterday."

To prove his point, he handed me a mirror and I took in my reflection. My eyes were red, my face was flushed, and my cheek that had been hit by the orange was swollen and black. I sighed, standing up, and made my way back to the bed. I lazily fell down onto it face first, which Peeta laughed at. The baker pulled a blanket over me, and began to speak softly. "Me and Katniss have to go visit District 2 today, so we'll be gone for probably the rest of the day. You'll be okay by yourself?"

I nodded. "Uh-huh," A chilled shudder went through me, and I pulled the blanket tighter around myself.

"Okay. See you later, Gale," he whispered as he started out of the room. He turned back, and began to say something else, but by that time I was asleep.


	5. Chapter V

SO SO SO SO sorry about the wait! DDDD8

Bad news on my end. Basically, in short, I got into a royal amount of trouble and was grounded from the computer for awhile. But now I'm back, so... yay? :')

Anyways, thanks so much to all of the reviewers—your dedication means so much to us both! Sorry about the short length; I hope this update was at least partially worth the wait~ :'D

-Star

* * *

Things got better after Gale's little episode. There was no more arguing. And, if there was, it usually ended just as soon as it began—we both wanted to stick to our promise this time. And, because of that, Katniss seemed to be in a brighter mood each day. Her smiles weren't so rare anymore, and I even caught her humming softly once while she was sketching. If only she would start singing again. I know that Gale would love to hear that melodious voice again just as much as I would.

The three of us could now all be in the same room without a riot breaking out. Gale and I could talk like regular human beings too, which was a major improvement. In District 3, Gale attended the party with us. And in District 4, after we had finished our speeches, the three of us went for a swim in those shimmering, crystal waves. The two of us were even able to play a civil game of chess the other day. I still let him win, however, just in case his temper got the better of him. But, on the bright side, he didn't gloat and rub his victory in my face like he normally would have done if not for our truce.

I actually found that I enjoyed Gale's company. Though Katniss had told me all about most of their adventures, it was still nice to hear Gale's side of the story. And, a little known fact: that hunter was a real comedian if you got him going. Once when Haymitch walked in on the three of us sprawled out, laughing at a joke Gale had just told,, he thought Hell had frozen over. And, maybe it had. Either way, I was just glad things were finally working out.

But there always had to be a breaking point.

Since there was only one bathroom in our room, and since Katniss refused to allow either of us to use hers, Gale and I had to take turns. This wasn't too difficult, though it was a bit annoying if Gale was in the shower and I had to use the bathroom. I discovered early on that Gale enjoyed long, hot showers. I didn't exactly blame him—Gale was reduced to bathing in a small bath with freezing water for his entire life... just like the rest of the poor District 12 citizens. The thought of my warm shower back home made me uncomfortable; my childhood had been much better than his. In the end, I just made sure to take care of everything I had to if I knew he was planning to wash up.

Despite Gale's shower fetish, I made sure to never take too long in the bathroom. Common courtesy got the best of me, I suppose. I was only in that porcelain room for about ten minutes, and my body was now squeaky clean. As I stepped out into our bedroom, steam from the shower drifting out behind me, two rough hands shoved me backward toward the door I had just exited. I managed to catch myself on the doorframe, barely leaving myself enough time to duck below the fist that came hurtling towards my face.

"Gale!" I snapped. I had to step backward to avoid his next kick. "What gives?"

"I thought we were friends now!" the blackette hollered. He pulled back his arm, preparing for another swing.

"We were!" I yelped. "I mean, we are!" I glanced back to see that I was running out of space. I had to fix this now or face Gale's fists. "What's your problem?"

"What's my problem?" Gale roared. He momentarily dropped his arms, much to my relief, and turned to face something in our room. "That!"

I cautiously crept toward the door. I paused briefly behind Gale, unsure if this was a trap or not. He didn't make any movements toward me, so I carefully squeezed out of the bathroom and walked away from him. I scanned the room—everything looked properly in place as far as I could tell. Then I noticed the television in the corner, ablaze with picture. I treaded closer, and my eyes instantly spotted the thick, bold print across the top of the screen.

"Peeta Mellark proposed to Katniss Everdeen today! Wedding date still unknown."

"What the-"

"How could you go behind my back like that?" Gale wailed from behind me. "I mean, I know we aren't the best of friends, but I still figured you respected me enough to at least tell me about something like this first!"

"Gale, you don't understand-"

"Out of all people, I always figured that _you _weren't the type to stab me in the back!" he went on. "As much as I hate your guts, I still thought, 'Hey, Peeta's not the snarky type. No, he's an honest man!' What an idiot I was! God, was I wrong-"

"GALE!" I screamed. He cut off abruptly, startled; I don't think he had ever heard me raise my voice so high before. "I _didn't _propose!" He stared blankly at me. "Did you hear me? I said that I _didn't _propose!"

"But the reporter said-"

"The reporter lied!" I hissed, aggravated. "Honestly, do you really think I would just propose to Katniss without at least _telling _you? Sure, it's not like I just wouldn't marry her if you told me not to, but I'd at least let you _know! _I'm not that cold."

Gale held my gaze for several minutes before finally looking away. He rubbed the back of his neck, seeming ashamed about his assumptions. "But, why would they say those things if they weren't true, then?" He still looked a bit wary, but the sincerity in my eyes must have helped to prove I was being truthful.

"I'm not sure," I admitted.

I glanced back at the colorful screen. All of a sudden there was Caesar Flickerman, sitting in a metallic chair, talking to a bizarrely dressed woman. Caesar currently must have been infatuated with the color green, for his hair and suit both bore a striking similarity to grass. The woman beside him had on a blinding, yellow dress that had many strange hoops and strings. Her hair looked like a pretzel, and was a shimmering silver color. Her eyes seemed too small for her face, and her nose was hooked downward rather oddly. Together, they were quite a pair to behold. Surprisingly enough, the woman was actually the one doing the interviewing, not Caesar—and the subject of the interview was me.

"So, Caesar, why do you think Peeta waited until he and Katniss were on the Victory Tour to propose?" her voice, if possible, was even higher than Effie's. It was squeaky and annoying; I wondered why they had picked her, of all people, to be a reporter.

"Well, Sunny," Just hearing Caesar's voice brought me back to the day of my very own interview. The day I had confessed my love for Katniss in front of all of Panem. "I figure Peeta wanted the actual proposal to be much more private and romantic. I mean, confessing your love is one thing, but a proposal should be much more personal and private—am I right?" The audience laughed loudly at his joke. "But, truly, I also think that our favorite boy from 12 wanted to do it on the Tour so that all of the Districts could see their burning love in person. Since they'll be visiting every District on their way home, everyone will now have the perfect opportunity to see the famous "Star Crossed Lovers" in person. And this time, their love is even stronger," He paused to take a sip from a thin glass; it appeared to be holding some sort of wine. "What better way to show their unity and loyalty to one another—and to the Capital—than to propose in this way?"

Sunny beamed so brightly that I feared her cheeks might rip. "How right you are, Caesar! Thank you for that wonderful insight!" She suddenly turned her head and stared directly at the camera. "I'm Sunny Simmers saying, stay tuned! Coming up, we'll be talking with the Capital's finest designers about what stunning dress they think Katniss will be wearing for her wedding!"

I snatched up the remote from an end table and clicked the power button. "Well, that clears things up," I muttered.

Gale's brow knitted together in confusion. "What?"

"Didn't you catch the last bit that Caesar said?" I questioned. "What better way for us to show our loyalty to the Capital than with this wedding?" Gale shook his head, still not understanding. "You've heard that things aren't going well in some of the other Districts?"

"Yeah, Katniss mentioned something about riots?" His gray eyes gazed intently at me.

"Well, I figure this must be Snow's way to get things back under control," I concluded. "If it appears that Katniss and I are just off being lovey-dovey, and not rebelling in any way, than the other Districts should take the hint and revert back to their normal ways."

"But what if he's wrong?" he demanded. "What if it doesn't work?"

"Then he'll force us to give some stupid speeches about our love for the Capital, probably," I rolled my eyes. "Either way, what choice do we have? It only makes sense. I mean, really. The two lovers from District 12 were actually _liars?_ They _don't _really love each other? They just _lied _in order to stay alive? Katniss and I would be goners. As long as we just do as he says, he'll leave us alone."

Suddenly, Gale grabbed both my arms tightly. "But you can't!" he growled. "It's not fair—what if Katniss doesn't _want _to marry you? What if she doesn't love you? What if she wants to marry someone else?"

His words stung; just the thought of Katniss loving another person made my heart ache. "Look Gale, I know that you love Katniss and it's killing you to think of her marrying me, but you have to look at the whole picture! If we don't do this, Snow will make life Hell for us—for her! He might even _kill _us," The hunter released me instantly, and flinched as if I had punched him. "I only want what's best for her. I know that you love her, but if you really care for her, you'd see that this is the only thing we can do to keep her safe."

"I'm sorry..." Gale looked at his feet. "You're... right. As much as I hate to admit it, right now I think you _do _have to marry Katniss."

I flashed him a half-hearted smile. "Well, I'm glad we have your blessing," He only snorted, not seeming up for a laugh right now.

"I wish I could hunt," he murmured after a while.

I glanced out the window, watching as the trees flew by. "Maybe after we arrive at District 5, you can go for a hunt," I suggested.

He nodded. "Sounds good to me,"

"And..." I hesitated; he raised his brow in question. "Maybe I can come with you?"

He met my eyes in surprise. "You? Why?"

"In the arena... I hated how useless I was to Katniss," I whispered. "I couldn't do anything to help her; I was a burden to her, really. I want to be able to hunt and fight... To be able to protect her."

Gale reached out and gently placed a hand on top of my shoulder. "I can teach you," he offered. He seemed to understand exactly why I needed to do this.

"I..." I looked away, emotion building up inside of me. I don't think he knew how much this meant to me. "Thank you, Gale..."

"Yeah, uh, no problem," He removed his hand and turned, striding over to the bed. "We can start tomorrow after you finish your dumb speech in District 5. I say you blow off this party for once and make Katniss go alone—it's not like she hasn't done it to you before."

His idea sounded absolutely wonderful. No playing pretend. No worrying about what everyone was thinking. No acting overly friendly to people I secretly despised. No wedding talk. I pictured Katniss sitting alone at a table, fuming with anger. She hated parties to begin with, and to have to go alone would completely mortify her. And then to have to answer everyone's questions about the wedding all by herself... She was going to kill me. But I wanted to ditch the party _so_ badly.

I grinned. "I look forward to it."


	6. Chapter VI

So sorry for the wait, everyone! I've been busy. D:

Just wanted to say thank you to all of you for your patience and support with this story! You guys are the best.

Here's chapter 6, enjoy! :)

-Tara

* * *

"No, Peeta!" I cried in agitation. I watched as Peeta slowly lowered the sword in his hands, his eyes narrowing slightly in irritation—he obviously was getting tired of me correcting him. But, it wasn't _my _fault he was a hopeless fighter!

"What this time, Gale?" he sighed.

I frowned at his bitter tone. I was _helping _him; he should be grateful, not resentful! "If you swing like that your entire left side is open for attack!"

"And?"

I squinted in disbelief at his words. "_And? _Do you want to end up with only one arm?" I asked, glaring at the blonde.

When I had agreed to teach Peeta how to fight, I didn't think he'd be this horrible. We'd been at it for about an hour already and he had made little to no progress. He couldn't throw knives for the life of him, his feet exploded into a thunderous sound every time he took a step, and his center of balance was completely lopsided. We were currently practicing with two swords Haymitch had managed to snatch for us, and he was like a flailing child! Okay, so maybe he wasn't _that _bad, but you get it.

He let go of his sword, letting it clatter to the ground at his feet. I was about to comment that he could have just chopped off his toes with that stupid act, but I held my tongue. "Sorry Gale," he murmured. "Can we try again? I'll get it right this time, I promise."

I snorted, unable to stop the sarcastic comment that came out. "That's what you've said the last few times you royally made a fool of yourself-" I instantly cut off, regretting my words as I took in his hurt expression. We both knew he was no good at this and my negativity wasn't helping. "Sorry. Here, we'll move on to something else."

He sighed, blowing the hair out of his eyes. "What next?" He sounded so miserable—and I hated it.

I glanced around at the other weapons and tools Haymitch had stolen for us. Surprisingly, District 5 had a lot to choose from; I hadn't expected that. Also shocking was the fact that the old drunk had willingly agreed to run around for me and collect what I asked for... why would he help me? Maybe he felt bad for me, having nothing to do most days when Peeta and Katniss were away at the District parties? Naw, he probably just wanted to get rid of me for awhile and figured hunting tools would do the trick.

"I'll teach you how to shoot," I decided, choosing a bow for myself before throwing the other to Peeta. "Don't forget the arrows," I called before tossing a sling full of them at him. I raised a brow, impressed when he caught both items flawlessly. Maybe there was hope.

I'll admit, I'm not the best shot with a bow. That was Katniss's specialty. However, I was decent enough, and I could a least pass on the basics to my baker friend. I quickly loaded my bow with an arrow and pulled back, getting a feel for the weapon. "First, you load," I told him simply.

"Okay," Peeta nodded, signalling for me to continue.

"Bring the bow up to your cheek," I said as I did such. "This way your line of sight shows exactly where your arrow will strike," I closed one eye, pointing the tip at a tree in the distance. "Then... let go,"

The arrow gave a soft 'whoosh' as it soared away and struck my target dead-center. I smiled, proud of myself; I had improved since last time.

"Wow..." Peeta whispered, staring at the tree twenty feet away.

For whatever reason, seeing him in in such awe embarrassed me slightly. "Enough staring, your turn!" I snapped hastily.

Peeta blinked once, before clumsily loading his bow with an arrow. With a shaking hand, he pulled back and lifted the bow to his cheek. His entire upper body quivered as he closed one eye. His fingers gingerly let go of the arrow, releasing it...

And then it fell at his feet.

I coughed, trying not to laugh. He frowned and scooped up the arrow once more. "It's no use-"

I instantly gave him a light shove. "Nonsense!" I argued. "You just let go too soon. Try to be more steady, and remember: swift movements," I gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Try again."

He nodded in determination and quickly strung up his bow once more. His form was much better—he wasn't shaking as badly and he seemed to be purposely controlling his breathing to steady himself. I watched as he hastily sucked some air in, and let go of the arrow.

This time the arrow did take flight, though in a completely random direction. Peeta's fingers had shifted slightly downward as he let go, and because of it the arrow went soaring up much higher than intended. It collided with the tree next to our target, disappearing in the branches. The blonde slowly looked over at me, wincing.

"Better," I commented, and he smiled slightly. "Try to be as still as possible—if needed, hold your breathe when you're about to fire. You just need to be more graceful."

"Easier said then done," He rolled his eyes, though he was still smiling.

Peeta may have been hopeless, but he never gave up. I had to give him credit. Most people probably wouldn't have stayed around to endure my gruff attitude for as long as he did. I stood silently for awhile, watching as the arrows continued to fly past me toward the tree. He still had yet to strike it, but he was getting much closer. I decided to leave the blonde to practice while I went to set up some snares and traps. Now _these_ were my strong-suit. I delicately began setting them up, feeling the most at home I had ever felt while on the Tour. Once I had decided there was enough, I figured I still had bit more time to waste in the woods. Peeta didn't need me back right away, after all. I closed my eyes and took in the sweet scents of the forest. It was so surreal. I found a pond and stopped for a drink. Birds were scattered about the trees. I even saw a deer in the distance, though it instantly took off upon hearing me. It was heaven. Deciding I had wasted enough time dawdling, I then quickly made my way back.

I was surprised to find Peeta still avidly practicing with his bow. I had been gone at least forty-five minutes—I was sure he would have stopped to take a break and wait for my return.

"You're getting closer," I commented as an arrow just skimmed the right edge of the trunk.

"But still, haven't even hit it," Peeta sighed. He dropped his bow, a look of defeat on his face.

"Hey, you can't give up that easily!" I huffed. What happened to the 'I won't give up' attitude from before?

"It's no use," he grumbled.

"Once more," I pleaded.

He stared at me for awhile before gently shutting his eyes. "Just one."

I felt myself tense in anticipation as he smoothly loaded his bow and pulled back, aiming at the tree. My eyes widened... he was so still! I swallowed and didn't say a word, praying that he would finally hit his mark. I couldn't bare to see that look on his face again if he missed. I don't know why, but it made my stomach upset. I silently put one hand behind my back and crossed my fingers.

Peeta gently released the arrow. I closed my eyes.

There was a single thud.

"Yes!" I cheered in relief, one fist instantly pumping up into the air.

Peeta looked truly startled. I instantly clapped him on the shoulder, grinning at him. He glanced gratefully at me, his expression quickly changing to a look of joy. "I... did it!"

"Yeah, you did!" I agreed, throwing my arm around the baker's shoulders. "C'mon, let's go check the traps and celebrate with some good 'ol game!"

"Sounds good," He beamed at me.

I grinned once more before releasing him and leading the way to the traps. Out of the five snares I had set up, one had managed to catch something: a plump rabbit.

Perfect! This couldn't get any better. I claimed my prize, holding it up to show my friend.

Peeta looked at the catch in what I could only describe as awe. "Wow... I never realized how impressive your snares actually are, Gale."

I blinked, slightly taken aback by his praise. "Uh, t-thanks!"

We found a sturdy log to sit on, and I instantly began to skin the rabbit. We sat in a comfortable silence for a long while—Peeta merely watching in interest as I prepared the game.

"Hey Gale? Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

The boy paused, thinking. "What's your family like?"

I sat up straighter, frowning. My family... I instantly felt a pang of homesickness. I missed them. Rory, Vick, Posy, and my Mom... What were they doing right now? How was their health? Were they eating enough? I had done some extra hunting before I had left for the Tour so they would have enough... And Prim and Mrs. Everdeen had promised to bring over milk and cheese daily... But still, I worried.

I sighed. "My family is... They're good people," I said simply. Peeta remained quiet, obviously wanting me to continue. "Um, I have two brothers, Rory and Vick. Posy is my little sister. And then there's my Mom, Hazelle," He still didn't speak; I looked away. I wasn't exactly the best person to converse with—especially when the subject was myself. "I've... been their main support system for who knows how long."

"And your dad?" Peeta asked, the questions floated so easily out of his mouth.

"My dad..." I trailed off and casually cleared my throat. "He, um, died in a mine accident."

His blue eyes instantly filled with regret at the question. "I'm so sorry, Gale."

I nodded once, not wanting to make a big deal of it. "S'okay," I grunted, waving away his words. I quickly changed the subject. "So, uh, what's your family like?"

A strange look crossed his face, one that I couldn't identify. "Well, I have two brothers. And my dad, he's the main baker, which you already know. I just helped with the frosting, really," he rambled. "And my mom... she, uh... Well, she kind of gave up on me before the Games even started," He smiled bitterly. "I was just a lost cause to her, I guess."

Shit. I quickly cursed myself for asking. "Hey, what did she know?" I huffed. "She was definitely was wrong."

Peeta met my gaze and smiled softly. In a way, I could sort of understand how he felt. My father died, leaving me to grow up without him. Peeta's mother gave up on him, leaving him without the support and love one needs from a mom.

"Do you miss them?" I asked suddenly.

Peeta nodded. "Of course. And you?"

"Yeah," I said softly, looking away.

We settled into silence again, both of us wrapped up in our own thoughts.

I eventually finished skinning, and set down my knife. "Hungry?" I asked.

He looked up. "Yeah, what do you have in mind?"

I grinned. "Time for you to try your first bite of cooked game, pretty boy," I teased.

He gave me a mock-frown and watched as I lit a fire with the twigs and moss we had gathered earlier. The matches Haymitch had scored us made fire building so much easier than what Katniss and I usually had to do. As I worked, Peeta must have gotten bored, for he decided to start the question game again.

"So, is the fearless Gale afraid of anything?"

I paused. "What?"

"You know, fears!" he laughed. "Things that make you nervous, phobias, all that stuff."

"Uh, no," I shook my head, trying to concentrate only on the now roasting rabbit. I felt my stomach tighten, and I gulped. I closed my eyes for a moment, shaking my head again to clear the sudden buzzing in my ears.

I'm a horrible liar.

"Huh, I guess I'm not surprised, with what you go through on a daily basis," he shrugged. He picked up the knife I had been using earlier and examined the blade.

"Do you have any?" I asked, biting the inside of my cheek.

"Well, I can't exactly swim, so I guess drowning," he began. "And, after the Games, those muttations tend to haunt my dreams... Hey, Gale, are you okay? You're pale."

"W-What?" I gasped abruptly. "I am not!"

He gave me a doubtful stare. "And you're shaking."

"I'm fine!" I insisted, my tone harsher. I lifted the stick, relieved to see that it had finished cooking. "Here, eat," I said, thrusting the meat at him.

Peeta, now distracted, looked down at the rabbit meat on his stick. He wrinkled his nose. "This tastes good?"

I nodded once, pulling off a piece with my fingers and popping it into my mouth. "Very. Try it."

He turned his head away. "Um... I'll pass."

I sighed. "How do you know you don't like it if you've never even tried it?"

He made a face, seeming disgusted. Nevertheless, he slowly tooth a small bite. He chewed thoughtfully for a moment before grinning. "Good!"

"Stubborn," I grunted, though I couldn't help but smile.

* * *

After we had finished eating, we extinguished the fire. We then gathered the weapons back up in the bag and crept back onto the train, praying none of the staff would catch us and take our goodies away. Once successfully back in our room, we stashed our loot under the bed.

"The District 5 party should be over soon," Peeta commented after a glance at the clock. "I say we change and head into town or something, that way we won't have to deal with Katniss when she returns—you and I both know she is going to be in quite a sour mood," He grinned, and soon my face mirrored his.

"Sounds like a plan," I nodded.

Peeta went to change in the bathroom, while I quickly tossed off my dirty clothes. I grabbed a random outfit out of the dresser and instantly pulled it on just as Peeta returned. "Ready?" he asked.

We took the hovercraft-car-thingamajig into town, and got out at a random intersection. We told the driver to meet us back at this spot in an hour before wandering off in a random direction. District 5 wasn't as luxurious as District 1, but there was still sights to see and things to do. We ended up finding some kind of shopping center with ten floors, and wandered inside. Glancing at the directory, Peeta instantly pointed to a line of text.

"Floor nine: Bakery!" he exclaimed excitedly. He hesitated briefly. "Can we...?"

I couldn't help but to laugh—he was like a little kid sometimes. "Sure," I nodded.

Peeta grabbed my arm and hurriedly led me toward the elevator. Wait- the _what?_ Before I could yank my arm away, or suggest that we take the stairs instead, we were inside the elevator and the doors had clamped shut. I stiffened as Peeta pressed the button marked 'nine', and the room shook as we moved upward. But we had only went up two floors when we stopped and the doors opened. Before I could even consider dashing out and making my escape, people began to flood in. The already petite room became even smaller as the people poured in. Soon Peeta and I were wedged up against the side of the elevator.

Well, fuck me—how many people can this thing hold, anyway?!

"Gale, are you okay?" Peeta grunted, nudging me.

I nodded unconvincingly and began to shake. The walls appeared to be shrinking in on us... oh God! I squeezed my eyes shut, my stomach churning. I felt a warm hand take mine and give me a gentle squeeze. I tightly gripped Peeta's hand, probably crushing his fingers in my palm. Finally, on floor seven, every single person evacuated the shaft. I exhaled softly, my stomach unclenching a bit once the doors shut and only Peeta remained beside me. A few seconds later we were at our destination, and I instantly scrambled out of that deathtrap. I sucked in jagged breathes as my heart rate slowly decreased, Peeta remaining silent the entire time. Once I had finally calmed down, he spoke up.

"Gale?"

"Huh?" I mumbled, my voice a bit higher than usual. He said nothing, but waited. I slowly straightened up and opened my eyes, only to see the baker's look of concern aimed my way.

Oh, and not to mention the fact that I was still clutching Peeta's hand.

My face turned crimson as I instantly released him, snatching my hand away. "U-Um..."

He paused, giving me a dubious look. "So, claustrophobia?"

"Uh, yeah," I gulped. I honestly didn't know what response I would get. Would he make fun of me? Call me a baby? Tease me for holding his hand?

"Let's take the stairs back down," he suggested, flashing me a soft smile.

I let out a silent sigh of relief and gave him a thankful look. "Sure, but first, why don't we quench that baker's appetite of yours."

"I'll take you up on that!" he chimed, grinning broadly as he led the way to the counter. I stared fondly after the blonde.

Maybe I would actually enjoy the friendship that was developing between us.


	7. Chapter VII

SO SORRY IT'S BEEN SO LONG SINCE THE LAST UPDATEEEEEEE. ;w;

Tara & I have been busy with life, to say the least. But we _really _mean it when we say we're going to try and update more constantly this new year! :)

Hope this chapter was worth the huge wait... :')

-Star

* * *

Shockingly enough, Gale and I only grew closer.

Call me crazy, but the two of us actually became great friends as the Tour went on. It was actually kind of disturbing how often he and I were together. Since District 5, Gale came to nearly every single District speech or party that followed. The three of us would often wander the unfamiliar Districts after all the rush was over and look for fun things to do. Except, with all this wedding stuff going on, it became harder for us to have our little outings. So when Katniss was called away to try on dresses or pick out a floral design, Gale and I would go train together. And if I was needed to decide on the wedding cake or my suit, Gale came with to keep me company. Normally, I would have told the old Gale to go hang with Katniss. But I really enjoyed this Gale, and I was probably a bit selfish by hogging him so much.

Every chance the two of us would get, we'd sneak off to go hunt or train in the nearby forests. Only Haymitch knew what we were really up to, and I had a feeling Katniss was starting to get a bit suspicious. But no one ever knew otherwise. We'd disappear when we weren't needed...though more recently we seemed to always be needed. So we turned to the dark of the night to slip away. It was perfect, and no one had a clue. Katniss questioned me about the large bags under my eyes once after Gale and I had been gone all night. But she seemed satisfied when I told her I had just had another nightmare that had kept me up.

I really hated lying to Katniss. She was the one person I always told everything to. At least, she used to be. I suppose Gale has adopted her position over the last few months. If I ever had a problem, I told Gale about it. If I had a bad dream, I talked to him. If I needed some advice, he was the one I turned to. And I tried to be there for him equally as much as he was for me. Gale got homesick sometimes. And other times, his temper got the best of him. But I had figured out little tricks to calm him down. Gale said not many people he knew could do that to him—only Rory could, and even he was no pro at it. So it made me feel good to know I knew him better than most people did.

As the Tour continued, it wasn't only Gale who grew homesick. Soon all of us were missing District 12. Thankfully, it seemed that the further we got from the Capital, the more at home we felt. District 11 held a beautiful ceremony for us. They all even saluted us after we had given our speeches. But, the ending was bittersweet. I don't want to dwell on the bad though, so I just remember sweet little Rue and her generous District.

Anyway, we would be arriving at District 12 within the hour and it was obvious that all of us were anxious to be home.

"I wonder how our own District will compare to the others when it comes to throwing a party," Gale commented.

We were in our room, relaxing as we waited for our arrival. Gale was sitting on the bed, carving into a branch he had picked up while we were out training one day. He'd been carving for several days now, yet I honestly still had no idea what his little figure was supposed to be. I was on the couch, staring out the window as the trees flew by. We were traveling so fast, yet we couldn't get there soon enough.

"I wonder who will show up," I mumbled back.

"Everyone is going to be there obviously. Why wouldn't they be?" Gale glanced up at me; realization flashed across his gaze. "Oh, your mom?"

I nodded. "She came to see me when Katniss and I first came back, yet she still had no kind words for me. She was just indifferent. I could be the President of the Capital and she would still care less." I sighed and wrapped my arms around my knees.

I heard Gale's clumsy footsteps as he came and sat beside me. A warm hand was gently placed on my shoulder. "Forget her," he told me. "Everyone in the District is so proud of you."

I shrugged and stared back out the window. "I suppose you're right."

Gale nudged me lightly. "Hey, what's really up?" he questioned. "I know you're a bit bummed about your mom, but you've always been pretty okay with it. And I know you've been a bit worried since the whole District 11 revolt went down. But what's actually on your mind?"

I met the hunter's gaze, my blue eyes staring back at his gray ones. He looked so generally concerned, and I knew he truly was. Gale was always there for me now.

But I couldn't tell him what was actually going on inside my head.

I tore my eyes away and shrugged again. "I think I'm just homesick," I lied.

As if on cue, high pitched squeals sounded as the train put on its brakes. Gale grinned and poked me playfully. "Ask and you shall receive!"

I flashed him a fake smile and rose to my feet as he led the way towards the exit. It was there that we met up with a seemingly eager Haymitch and a somewhat nervous Katniss.

"Smile," I told her. "You get to see your sister soon," I gave her arm a comforting squeeze, and she gave me a hint of a smile in return.

And then the doors opened, and we were pulled into a crowd of cheering people. Hands everywhere reached toward me, offering pats, handshakes, and even a few hugs. I found myself grinning as the citizens of 12 cheered and shouted our names. I lost track of the others as the crowd continued to pass me around like a play thing. Eventually, a Peacekeeper grabbed hold of me and escorted me up onto a stage. It was then that I was able to see what 12 had prepared for us.

The town square had been decorated, that was for sure. There were banners, balloons, and all kinds of homemade decorations prepared by the villagers. It wasn't anything fancy, like the flashing lights and colors in District 1. And it wasn't anything expensive, like the diamond statue of Katniss and I in District 2. It was even better. It was made special, by all the members of our District. It was home. And I couldn't ask for anything more.

Katniss appeared at my side and I smiled at her. Her face lit up just like mine—she was just as pleased with the welcome we were receiving. Gale and Haymitch arrived next and I instinctively turned to greet my friend. Instead, I found my path blocked by Haymitch, who was frowning and shaking his head. Then it clicked.

My arm wrapped around Katniss's waist instantly, and I pulled her to me affectionately as we waved at the crowd. Katniss stiffened at my touch, but relaxed and placed her hand atop mine just as quickly. Her touch felt odd on my skin. It was...strange. Not at all what I was used to. I found myself throwing glances at Gale out of the corner of my eye. He was loving every minute of the cheering crowd. He waved and grinned—it made me laugh in return. Again, I found myself wanting to go to his side, to share in the celebration with him. But I knew I had to stay with Katniss. We were the Star Crossed Lovers, after all. Or should I say, the _engaged _Star Crossed Lovers...

* * *

Surprisingly enough, that little gathering was only our 'welcome home' party. Our actual District party would be in a few days. So of course they were going to make the four of us room together once again until the big ceremony. Well, the _three _of us. Gale wasn't technically supposed to be on the Tour in the first place...he just came along for the trip. I was a bit disappointed at this; I wanted Gale to celebrate with us. However, they did give us a few hours to spend at our homes with our families first—something I wasn't too thrilled about. But it did mean I had time to visit with Gale before they locked us up for the night.

It was nice to see my father and brothers again. My mother even gave me a hug. But I was hardly there for more than an hour before I left to go see how Gale was doing. As I walked to the hunter's house, I realized I had never actually seen my friend's home. Sure, I knew where it was located, but I had never actually cast my eyes upon it. It was strange how little interaction Gale and I had ever had before the Tour. I guess the fact that he was older than me and we lived in two different sections of the District explained that. On the Tour, I barely ever remembered those differences.

I turned the corner and my eyes landed upon it. The house was nothing fancy, as you'd imagine. It was small, dusty, and looked a bit shaky. But it actually looked pretty cozy. I made my way to the door and paused to listen. I heard the noises of children—Gale's siblings—excitedly talking. I could hear Gale talking too, his voice relaxed and warm. I smiled before knocking softly. I heard shuffling and then silence. I stood still, listening intently, as footsteps neared the door.

"Who's there?" came Gale's brisk voice.

I smiled. "Hawthorne, open up!" I barked in my best 'tough and scary' voice.

He paused. "Peeta?" I could hear his disbelief and could only grin larger.

"Let me in, you dope!"

The door swung open and my confused friend stood before me. He didn't say a word, he just stared. "Yeah, nice to see you too!" I joked.

"No, yeah, nice to see you!" He surprised me by pulling me in for a quick hug. My body froze in shock as his warm grip wrapped around me. But I instantly relaxed and went to return the gesture, only Gale was already releasing me. He stepped back quickly, and I nervously rubbed the back of my neck. "Well since you're here...come in!"

Gale was so much more at ease at home. He seemed so calm, so relaxed—so happy. It was nice to see him like this. He didn't have a care in the world and seemed stress-free. He ought to be like this always, he didn't deserve to be troubled so much.

"Peeta, meet my family," He nodded and led the way into a small room that I presumed was the living area. "Guys, this is-"

"Peeta Mellark!"

Suddenly two young boys were before me, jumping up and down eagerly. As I recalled, their names were Vick and Rory. "Mom! Mom! It's _Peeta!_"

Gale's mom—Hazelle, I remembered—was sitting on the couch with Gale's younger sister. "Yes Vick, I know," She smiled warmly at me. "Boys, let our guest sit down and relax a little."

"It's alright," I laughed as I took a seat. The two instantly took the empty spots beside me.

"You won the Games!"

"No one from District 12 _ever _wins!"

"Is it true you fought off twenty men?"

"No no, it was thirty!"

"What-"

"Will you two just shut up!" Gale barked from his spot leaning against the wall. He looked annoyed, though I could see a hint of a smile on his lips. "Yes, Peeta won the Games. And yes, he's one of the few other than Haymitch who have won the Games for 12 in the past. No, he didn't fight off twenty or thirty men. It was forty." He crossed his arms with a grin, and I erupted into laughter. "And, he frosts a good cake."

"You _bake?_" Rory asked in disbelief.

"Oh, that's right!" Hazelle piped up. "You work at the bakery, don't you?"

I nodded. "I'll have to bring over some of our bread and cake sometime," I told her happily. "I bet you guys would love-"

There was a sudden bang at the door that made Posy gasp in fright. "Gale?" called a familiar voice. "Gale, it's Katniss! Have you seen Peeta?"

I instantly got up and followed the blackette to the door. Katniss seemed unusually hectic, was something wrong? She practically pounced on him when he opened the door. "Have you seen..." Her eyes landed on me instantly. "Peeta?!"

I stepped around Gale and gave her a wave. "Hi, yes, I'm here—what's up, Katniss?"

Katniss frowned and looked into the distance absently. "I just...didn't know where you went," she shrugged."I went to the bakery, but you weren't there..." She seemed rather bothered by this. Why, I wasn't actually sure.

"Well, no worries," I patted her shoulder. "You found me."

Gale still had not said a single word. But it wasn't difficult to see that he was not pleased. What was his deal? I didn't like all the tension I was feeling from him.

"Uh, say, why don't we all go hunting?" I suggested. Gale always seemed to relax more when he was out in the forest. Maybe heading out there for a little bit would calm him down.

"Huh?" Katniss blinked in confusion. "Peeta...you don't hunt..."

"Gale's been training me ever since the Tour," I boasted happily, flashing my friend a thankful grin.

The hunter nodded stiffly. "He's not too bad, actually."

Katniss smirked at that. "I'd have to see it to believe it,"

Gale still seemed as hostile as ever. Even the idea of going for a hunt didn't seem to excite him. What was up?

"And see it you will," I challenged.

I was going to find out.

* * *

"Peeta, you were like a completely different person!" Katniss exclaimed, grabbing my arm excitedly. "You were so light on your feet...what a change!"

"Well, Gale taught me a lot," I nodded at the hunter, who was walking a few paces behind us. "He's a great teacher-"

"You must have picked everything up so quickly!" she interrupted. "You seem so much more aware now, you're a natural! And your skills with a bow... Peeta, you're better than Gale!"

I frowned. "I wouldn't say-"

"I'm very impressed," she said, yanking us both to a stop. Gale paused as well, staring curiously. Katniss looked up at me wearing one of those rare smiles of hers.

"Uh, thanks," Why did things suddenly feel so awkward?

"Now we can go hunting together," she said softly. Before I could respond, she pulled me close and pressed a light kiss to my cheek. "I'll see you back at the house," She waved to Gale before hurrying off. She was going to go visit Prim one more time before bed.

I stood frozen, one hand holding my cheek in surprise. Katniss _never _showed affection. For anyone. Ever. Normally, I would have cherished a moment like this. Normally, I would have responded by pulling her into a deep kiss—regardless if Gale was there or not. But...things were different.

"Gale-" I turned, but he had already began to stomp off in the other direction. "Gale!" I ran after him, but he still didn't look back. Once at his side I grabbed his arm to stop him. "_Gale_,"

"What?" he demanded, turning and glaring at me.

I stared, taken aback slightly. "What's with you?" I questioned when I regained my confidence. "You've been acting strange all day!"

"What's with _me?_" he roared. "Oh, _I don't know._ Maybe I'm irritated Katniss thinks all my teaching and hard work was just some natural talent you learned all by yourself! Maybe I'm pissed that she fancies you so much! Maybe I don't like how easily she shows you affection now! And maybe I'm jealous you're engaged, dammit!"

"Gale," I sighed and shook my head. I noticed a smooth stone to our left and walked over to sit. I motioned for him to join me but he merely just walked over and stood nearby. "Gale, we've talked about this. I told you—we're only getting married because we have to. Otherwise, this whole wedding thing wouldn't even be happening" I reached out and grabbed his hand. "You can trust me on that."

He met my eyes for a moment before hastily snatching his hand away. He plopped down beside me and turned away gruffly. I hesitated before touching his shoulder lightly, but he instantly shrugged away from my touch. "Well it's not fair!" he scoffed. "You shouldn't have to!"

"I know," I sighed. "I wish I didn't have to either."

He paused, glancing over his shoulder at me. "You do?"

I nodded and met his gaze. "I do."

He seemed to think intently about something for a moment. "I thought you loved Katniss—shouldn't you be thrilled about this?"

I stared at the ground. "I suppose I should be," I shrugged. "But...I'm not." There, I said it.

Gale reached over and placed his hand on my knee in a comforting gesture. "It'll be okay," he told me. "We'll figure something out." I stared at him, watching the warmth return to his face. "I'm won't let you get married too young."

I couldn't help but to smile. Gale was always good at making me smile.

"Now c'mon," Gale said, pulling me up to my feet. "Let's get back to the house before Haymitch drinks himself to sleep on all the alcohol they've probably supplied him with."

I started to laugh as he led the way. Once again, things were good.


	8. Chapter VIII

We're getting better at updating sooner! :D

Star is already started on chapter 9!

Enjoy guys! :)

-Tara

* * *

When I had returned with Peeta that night, Katniss seemed slightly disappointed to see me. I had a feeling she was hoping to get some one-on-one time with Peeta. Oddly, I found that this bothered me. Very much. Peeta and I spent the rest of the night listening to Haymatch tell us funny stories from his youth while Katniss watched on nearby. Eventually, we all passed out in the living area of the victor's house. I had thought we'd be stuck in this place for the next few days until the ceremony was ready, but thankfully they informed us we could leave for parts of the day. Of course, the square was off limits for the four of us while they finished preparing everything.

As the afternoon rolled in, Katniss decided she was going to visit her mother and sister again. It was obvious to anyone that she didn't want to part from them anytime soon again. Despite the time away I had also had, I wasn't as eager to return home just yet. Peeta, who felt the same, suggested that we spend the day hanging out in the woods. That sounded like a perfect day to me; a calm day in the woods, relaxing away from the noisy people.

I took Peeta to a spot near the rocks Katniss and I usually sat on after a long day of hunting. Just beyond our sitting spot was a beautiful, crystal clear lake that Peeta and I could cool off in. I instantly dropped my things and approached the shimmering water. I kicked my shoes away and yanked off my shirt before diving in. The cool water made my skin tingle, but it was refreshing after walking under the hot sun for almost twenty minutes. I slowly swam further away from the shore, ducking my head under the water once more. Once I had resurfaced, I looked over at Peeta. "Aren't you coming in?" I called.

The blond was merely sitting on the grass, turning the bow over in his hands. He looked up his expression guarded. "No, I'm fine. Thanks."

I blinked, surprised by his tone. "You sure?"

"Yeah," he said quietly. He then turned his attention to a flower and began to pull the petals off one by one.

I shrugged and went back to enjoy the water. The lake had some of the purest water in the forest—any pollution from our District had not yet reached this mini paradise. As I swam, my mind drifted back to yesterday's events. I really had been a big ass, getting all jealous over Katniss complementing Peeta on his skills and what-not. I mean, he was only good because I'd helped him with it, but still... Why was I even jealous to begin with?

The thought troubled me—what exactly made me so upset? I quickly banished the thoughts from my head and swam back toward the baker. Peeta remained silent as I retreated back to the land and began to dry off.

"That was fast," Peeta said softly. "You didn't have to get out so soon because of me."

I stopped shaking my head like a wet dog for a moment and gave an exaggerated shrug. "It's fine," I insisted. "I just wanted to cool off real quick. Besides, I wanted to check a trap I set near this area; because this one is further out I don't get to check it as often. After that, we can head back if you want."

He stared at me for a moment before standing, a smile on his face. "Ready when you are."

I led the way deeper into the forest until we had reached a tree with the crooked branches. I carefully approached the base, pointing out the snare to Peeta. My mouth instantly turned downward at the sight of the empty trap. Well, it was only afternoon. Some of the animals I usually caught were nocturnal, so maybe something would pass by later.

"Let's head back," I huffed, turning to head back the way we came. Peeta followed almost instantly.

I glanced sideways at the blond as we walked. It still felt weird sometimes. Us, being friends. Actual friends. If anyone had told me a couple months ago we'd end up friends, I'd have laughed in their face. But... Well, now I couldn't imagine not being friends with this guy. I could see why the people from the Capitol liked him so much: he was easy to like and a lot of fun to be around. And if I was being honest with myself...I'd admit that I actually _liked_ hanging out with him. But, of course, I'd deny this until death.

He truly is a great friend. He always accepted my apologies and never complained when I choose to be stubborn and say nothing. He puts up with a whole lot of my shit. So, it wasn't fair for me to have a bad attitude with him over something as stupid as Katniss praising his hunting techniques. In fact, I should be happy for him—he has improved so much! Furthermore, it was even stupider to be angry at him for being engaged. I mean, really...why that such a big deal to me yesterday? Was I just jealous that he had won the girl? Or was I upset I was losing my best friend... Whatever, it doesn't matter. The point is, maybe I should apologize...

I was so absorbed in my thoughts that I would have smacked right into the fence if Peeta hadn't pulled me back. I stumbled backward clumsily and instinctively reached out to steady myself on the fence. However, Peeta whacked my hand away before I could grab hold.

"What was that for?" I snapped.

Peeta was looking at the fence with a frown upon his face. "Don't you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Listen."

I did, and soon my eyes had widened to twice their usual size. It was hard to make out, but I could hear a faint hum in the air.

"The fence is on?" I choked out in disbelief.

Peeta bore a grim expression on his face. "Looks like it."

I shuddered. "If you hadn't..." I swallowed hard and took a step away from the fence. I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head.

The peacekeepers occasionally turned the fence on to ward away any rouge animals. However, that was usually only at night. The fence was _never _on—never! Why the sudden urge to fire the baby up?

"What do we do now?" Peeta asked, his voiced laced with worry. He gripped his bow as he stared at the fence, panic etched into his face.

"We have to wait for them to turn it back off. Though, they'll probably forget, as usual..." I sighed. "Which means, we have to wait until the generator kicks the electricity off in the morning." Peeta blanched at my words; he was on the verge of a freak out. "Don't worry, I know where we can stay."

The baker's expression turned to one of curiosity as I turned and headed back into the forest. "Where?" he called after me, jogging to catch up. Hearing the hope in his voice calmed my own nerves a bit. I sure hoped I was right about this...for both our sakes.

It was a long trek to make, and I could sense Peeta's unease as the sun began to lower in the sky. I nudged him on every so often, and he'd flash me a weak smile as he briskly walked on. Finally, we came to a familiar clearing.

"Here it is," I breathed.

"Is that a...cabin?"

I panted a sigh of relief as I jogged over toward the abandoned, but sturdy structure. It was small, but quaint—it'd do for the night. I opened the door and stared into the dimly lit room. Like the outside, it wasn't anything special. Basically, the cabin only had one main room. The living area had a faded table with some wobbly-looking chairs, a broken bed in the corner, and an old rug on the floor. On the right wall was a small door—probably a closet—and the left wall actually had a door that led to a tiny bathroom. Well, that was a perk at least. My eyes spotted a light switch on the wall and I flicked it on. Nothing...it was worth a shot.

Peeta cautiously came in behind me, looking around the small room. Apparently he deemed the place safe, for he seemed to relax as he set his bow on the table and took a seat in one of the chairs. "Have you been here before?"

I took a seat across from him. "Yeah- Well, kinda. Katniss and I found this one time while we were out. We wished we would've found this the time we were forced to spend the night out in the forest."

"You've been stuck out here before?" he questioned.

"Just that one time," I shrugged.

"Huh," He paused. "...was it scary?"

I studied his face. "What?"

He bit his lip. "Was it scary? Being out there at night?"

"Yeah, a little," I admitted. The blond tensed. "But, we had to sleep out there—we didn't have a warm house to stay in like today. We'll be just fine," Honestly, Peeta had probably seen scarier things in the Games; staying out here in some random cabin for the night should be a piece of cake.

The room grew silent as we became wrapped up in our own separate thoughts. I reached into my back pocket and pulled out the wood carving I had been working on for about a week now. Thankfully I had remembered to bring both it and my hunting knife; now I had something to pass the time. After about ten minutes, Peeta rose to his feet.

"I think I'm going to go check the traps we had set when we went out yesterday," the blond declared. I was happy to see his nerves had seemed to vanish completely.

"Do you know how to get to them?" I asked skeptically. I didn't want him getting lost on me. "You know the way?"

He nodded confidently. "I made sure to pay attention when we set them," he insisted. I frowned, not liking the idea of him going off on his own. His blue orbs stared back at me pleadingly. I sighed.

"Alright...just, don't go too far," I told him. "And if you're not back in forty minutes I'm coming to look for you."

He grinned. "No problem, thanks Gale!"

Peeta grabbed his bow before quickly exiting our little cabin. I sat staring at the closed door for awhile before sighing again and returning to my carving.

He would be okay. Stop worrying.

There was a sudden tapping sound; I quickly glanced around for the source. It turned out to be coming from me—my leg was tapping uneasily on the wooden floor. I didn't know why, but I realized I was extremely on edge. I set the objects in my hands down before rising to my feet.

Peeta's fine. Relax.

I decided to distract myself by searching the cabin for any useful supplies. The bathroom proved to have nothing helpful. There wasn't any toilet paper, the shower didn't work, and the single cabinet was bare. The main room was empty except for some old shoes I found under the broken bed. All that remained was the door on the right wall that I had presumed to be a closet. I sighed, not expecting to find anything worthwhile. It was hopeless.

My mind began to wander again as I opened the door—yep, it's a closet alright.

I thought back to the start of all this. I've had such a horrible attitude this whole time. I'll admit it. Ever since the Tour started and I had gotten onto that train...I'd acted so awful. I knew for certain that my mother wouldn't be happy if she found out. First, there was the whole incident where I insulted him and picked a fight over room arrangements of which he had no control. Then, during that District party where no one wanted to talk to us, I complained again and made the whole experience even more unbearable. Then Peeta had his nightmare...I guess I _kinda _helped with that. But then...I flinched as the memories resurfaced again. I'd gotten drunk and had made a complete fool of myself. And Peeta had gone out of his way to help me when he didn't even have to. We he shouldn't have had to. When any normal person would have just left me to suffer at my own expense. Things had gotten better after that...but I still always seemed to screw things up. I yelled at him for the engagement. I yelled at him for being a lousy fighter. I yelled at him whenever I was in a sour mood, honestly. But he just put up with it. _Why? _

Surprisingly, there were some blankets on the shelves within the closet. I bent down and began to gather all the cloth.

Even yesterday...I'd snapped at him when Katniss praised his hunting skills. Skills he had learned from me, but had practiced on his own for many long hours. Why had that set me off? Was it because she'd showed him actual affection... Something she had never done with me before. And, again, why was I so pissed about the stupid engagement? I thought we had already settled that whole matter...why did I bring it up again? Why was I _still _a bit pissed about it? Peeta had already told me that he didn't want to marry her. So what was I getting so worked up about?

I just...don't want him getting married too young, that's all.

I inched further into the closet as I began to collect the blankets shoved to the back of the shelves. These blankets were actually in pretty good shape! Looks like Peeta and I wouldn't freeze tonight.

I sighed and shook my head. No, that wasn't it and I knew it.

Peeta had said—more than once, now that I thought about it—that he wished the wedding wasn't happening. Why was I so upset? The old me wouldn't have given two shits. But now I did, for some damned reason...

Suddenly the door slammed shut behind me and I was engulfed into darkness.

"H-Hey!" I yelped, whirling around and grabbing the knob. It didn't bulge. "P-Peeta! This isn't funny!"

Silence. I began to shake as I started shoving at the door with more force. It still didn't open.

The closet door must lock from the outside. It was an old house—the door had probably closed on its own.

It's okay. Peeta will be back soon and he'll let you out.

Then it hit me: Peeta was out checking the snares. He could be gone for almost an hour. And that's if he didn't get lost! At which point, it might be a whole day before he gets Katniss and they come find me! I balled my hands into fists and began slamming into the door.

"Help!" I wailed.

_No, no. Keep calm. Breathe..._

Of course, with the situation at hand, telling myself to "keep calm" didn't work.

My breath soon came in ragged gasps; I broke out into a cold sweat as my knees shook violently. Before I could stop myself, I was screaming.

"_Peeta!_" the sound tore out of my throat. I slammed my fists against the door-deathtrap. And to think, I had thought the elevator was bad. At least in that Hellish room, Peeta had been there right next to me. Now he was gone, and I didn't even know if he was going to come back...

My chest felt tighter; my stomach started to clenched up.

"Peeta! Let me out!"

_I can't do this. I can't do this._

I yanked at the door knob again. Why won't it just open? Is it locked, or just stuck?

_Ican'tbreathe. Ican'tbreathe. I CAN'T BREATHE!_

It was so dark. So dark. I couldn't see anything, not even my hands in front of my face. Just blackness.

_I don't want to die. Not like this. Notlikedad. Let me out. Let me out. LET ME OUT!_

I threw my whole weight into the door; my shoulder protested at the pain I caused it.

Suddenly my legs gave out, and I was smashed up against the door in the crampted space.

_Just lemme out. Please. Somebody. Anybody, please._

I called for Peeta again. Surprise surprise, no answer. My ears were ringng, my palms were sweaty...oh God, I think I might vomit.

_Please please please._

The walls felt like they were closing in on me. I was being squished. "Help..."

I couldn't tell you how long I was in that closet. It could have been an hour. It could have been ten minutes. It even could have been but ten seconds.

To me, it was Hell.

Finally the world returned in the form of two blue eyes.

"Gale?"

I blinked at the eyes. They were so much nicer than my own boring gray pair. I frowned, wishing my eyes were as stunning as these two were.

"Gale," the voice called again. Slowly my senses came back to me. "Hey, it's okay."

"Peeta?" I croaked, clearing my dry throat.

"Are you alright?" I realized I wasn't in the closet anymore, yet I still felt a presence around me. Only, this wasn't the dreadful feeling like the walls had given me. This was...nice, comforting. I realized the presence was Peeta—he was holding my upper body in an upright position in his arms. The two of us were in the middle of the main room, sitting on the floor.

I gently sat up and pulled away from his grasp. I took an uneasy breathe and looked back at the blond.

He was here...and for some reason seeing him so concerned made my stomach twist even more than it already was.

Finally my words returned to me. "Where the Hell were you?!" I demanded, shoving him roughly with one hand. He toppled backwards and stared back up at me in disbelief.

"I was checking the traps...I was only gone twenty min-"

"I called for you!" I wailed desperately. "I thought I was trapped in there! Y-You...You..." I trailed off and began to shiver violently. The panic was still inside of me. Before I could stop it, I was hyperventilating again.

Peeta stared at me, dubious look on his face. He quickly sat up and scooted closer to me. "Gale, c'mon. Look at me and copy my breathing."

I looked at him, my eyes wide. I watched his mouth and tried to follow his example; I sucked in gulps of air. He kept talking and the soothing noise soon had me exhaling softly. Gradually my breathing returned to a normal pace.

I sighed softly and closed my eyes. I felt Peeta place a hand on my knee. "Are you okay?" he murmured.

"...'m tried," I said quietly.

There was shuffling as Peeta crossed the room and gathered up the blankets from the closet. He wrapped one of the blankets around my shoulders and left the rest in a pile before us. He then sat back down opposite me once more, not speaking.

I peeked at him with one eye. What was he going to say?

I waited for him to call me out. To make fun of me. To rub it in my face.

Of course, he did none of the above.

"Has this happened before?" I nodded, slumping into the soft blanket he had brought me. He sighed. "I'm sorry. I tried to reset the traps but I don't think I did it right. I wouldn't have taken so long if I knew you were going to..." He paused, and I winced.

We sat there for awhile, neither of us speaking. For once, Peeta didn't seem to know what to say.

So, I decided to ask what was probably on both our minds.

"Aren't you going to say something?" I asked, trying to keep the disgust out of my voice.

"What am I supposed to say?" he sounded genuinely confused...it made me even more angry.

"Tease me! Tell me I'm an embarrassment! _S__omething_!" I snapped. Before I knew it, I was yelling. Peeta was watching me, one brow raised. He grabbed my hand, but I yanked it away almost instantly.

"Gale, it's okay," he said softly. "It's not embarrassing to have a fear of small spaces. I'm not going to judge you or avoid you because of it. Besides, if I really wanted to ditch you, I would've just done it way before this. You were more annoying when you first came abroad the Tour, anyway," He smiled, trying to get me to flash one in return. Normally, I probably would have laughed. But I just couldn't muster up a grin; I wasn't finding it funny.

I tried to swallow the sudden lump that appeared in my throat. I gritted my teeth and looked away as I felt tears prick the corners of my eyes. I was _not_ going to cry! I hated it when I did that. My face got all blotchy, my eyes got really red, and my nose ran a lot.

I took a moment to compose myself before I finally looked back at the blond. "Do you have any fears?"

Peeta nodded. "Sure, it stopped me from having fun today," I blinked in confusion. "Drowning. I, uh...don't like the water much. Never have, really."

"Can't you swim?" I asked suddenly.

Peeta looked at the floor sheepishly. "Ah, no."

I bit my lip, frowning. Another questioned bubbled in my throat, but he beat me to it. "Did you develop claustrophobia after your dad died?"

I flinched; the question was so direct. Peeta touched my shoulder. "Sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"No... I-It's okay," I swallowed once ."My dad died in a mining accident. After that... I dunno, I've just always had this fear of small spaces." I wrapped my arms around myself. "I just...don't want to go the same way he did. Alone...in the dark...unable to breathe..."

Peeta seemed to sense that the topic needed to change, so he started telling me about his family. He told me all about his two older brothers and his parents, and even about the bakery. He talked and then I talked, too. I talked about my mom and siblings, and what life is like for us. As we both shared our stories, I began to realize how extremely different my life was from his. Peeta talked about his mom with me—a topic I know he didn't like to bring up to just anyone. It made me happy to know he could tell me anything. I gave his hand a squeeze as he spoke, which earned a small smile from him in return.

We continued to talk as we began to create a makeshift bed out of the many blankets. Once the mattress was made, I laid back lazily. I asked my next question as Peeta laid down beside me. "Do you really want to through with this whole engagement thing?"

"No," he replied back almost instantly

That made me a feel a bit happier. His answer took no thought... But was something was still bugging me. "Why not?"

"I... I just don't. I still love Katniss, but..." He broke off and shook his head. "I'm just not ready to get engaged. She isn't, either." He sighed. "But we have to, because otherwise the Capitol will hurt the people we love. They need us to do this in order to stop the revolts in the Districts." He rolled his eyes. "Look at the good little Star Crossed Lovers, all in love and not rebelling."

I snorted and the blond let out a laugh. We drifted into silence again, only to be broken when I let out a yawn.

"You tired?" he asked beside me.

"No," I lied. But I couldn't stop the second yawn.

"We should get some sleep," he suggested softly. I nodded, my eyes already drooping. I mumbled a goodnight and could barely hear his response. I listened to his breathing for awhile before I fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

I woke up and sighed contently. I had slept pretty good last night for once. I snuggled closer to the body next to me, trying to stay warm. Sleeping with Rory was annoying, mostly cause he'd kick in his sleep, but he hadn't done that last night. Now that I thought about it, I hadn't heard Rory make any noise last night...and he usually talked in his sleep.

I blinked, yawning awake. When my eyes had fully adjusted, I found myself staring directly at Peeta. I froze, my face turning crimson.

The baker's face was very close to mine, and to make matters worse I had my arm around his torso.

I instantly scrambled away, my ears burning. I wrapped a blanket around me and stared at the still sleeping blond in shock. Why were we...?

The events from last night returned to me and I groaned. Talk about embarrassing! Well, I could always pretend it didn't happen. Besides, it was Peeta—he wouldn't mention it if I didn't! I'm just glad he wasn't awake to see me basically cuddling with him...

I felt my cheeks heat up and looked away. Just as suddenly, Peeta moaned softly and stretched his hands high above his head. He slowly sat up and rubbed at his eyes. He then glanced over at me and smiled sleepily. He seemed to be only half-awake.

"Good morning," he said with a huge yawn.

I grunted in response. Feeling eyes on me, I turned and found him looking intently at me.

"What?" I snapped.

"Are you..._blushing_?"

I didn't think my face could get any redder, but apparently I was wrong.

"N-No!" I protested, turning away. I silently began willing my face to go back to its normal color. Peeta—that jerk—just laughed. I glared at him, hoping that for once looks could kill.

"Let's get out of here," he said simply as he rose to his feet.

The second we had entered the victor's house, Katniss practically pounced on us.

"Where were you?" she demanded.

I shook my head. "Nowhere."

Katniss crossed her arms, obviously not satisfied with my answer. Peeta patted her shoulder. "We're fine, Katniss."

"You were gone all last night!" she huffed. "I had to lie to the peacekeepers and tell them you were both sick in the bathroom! Do you know what they would have done if they would have found out you two were missing all night?!"

Peeta frowned. "We're sorry-"

"And then you two show up and think it's all okay?"

Peeta continued to apologize and reassure her, though the grimace never left her face. I just stood there, hands in my pockets, while Peeta took care of things. Eventually Katniss fixed me with a hard glare.

"Are you sure you were just 'nowhere'?" she hissed.

"Yup," I replied, a smug grin on my face.

Katniss narrowed her eyes but didn't press me further. "Whatever," she muttered. "I have a lot to do anyway; I don't need to deal with your guys' crap right now." She turned and headed off toward her room. "The square is all prepared...ceremony is tonight."

Then she was gone, off to get ready. Peeta slowly turned to face me, smiling sheepishly.

"I feel bad for lying," he admitted.

"Yeah..." Katniss didn't deserve to be lied to. And yet...

"I'll tell her about it later," Maybe.


End file.
